Common Interest
by mydoctortennant
Summary: David Baker and Arthur Pendragon share a common interest...


David Baker was easily pleased. He didn't have expectations of his life and he was more than sated to work under the employ of Uther Pendragon in his kitchens. It was one of the better jobs he could have given his circumstances. He wasn't well off, his wage let him pass by life without too much hassle, but he didn't think it right to ask for more.

He lived alone. In the past he had had a sweetheart or two but of late no girl had taken his fancy. Not until he had started his work in the kitchens.

She was a simple beauty; darker skin, dark brown curls, deep brown eyes and the prettiest smile he had ever seen. She wore a lavender dress with an embroidered bodice that fitted her in the very best way.

David had spent the majority of his morning preparing for the All Saints Feast. Small things like making sure all the goblets shined and the cutlery was perfectly polished. It was those details that made the evenings so successful for the serving staff, even if it meant so little to the nobles.

There was one thing that could make _his_ day perfect. Today was the day he was going to take action. He'd looked after her for too long, now it was time to look passed and move forward with her. So he hoped.

He spotted her on her way out into the gardens. He'd known that she'd been scheduled to collect flowers from the gardens with a few of the others. They would be leaving any minute. David had finished all his chores as quickly as he could so he could assist them in their job.

What he noticed as he gathered with the others, as they prepared to face the chill for the afternoon, was that Gwen was nowhere to be seen. Then he caught the back of her skirts heading out and up into the main castle. He frowned; he had never known her to avoid joining them in picking the arrangements before.

After making his apologies he too departed from the group and followed the flash of skirt he had seen up the stairs. He saw her rounding the next corner and continued to follow her. He was looking at his feet as he walked, had he looked up he would have seen her look over her shoulder and spot him following her.

Guinevere had known about David's little crush for a while now. She'd deliberately taken herself off of the flower pick to distance herself from him. As much as she knew the relationship she had with Arthur was never going to end happily, she didn't want David chasing after her either.

She took the next left and sped up her pace. Somehow David kept up with her, taking the same choices at t-bends. Following her every step.

Gwen panicked, taking the next door of her right. Straight into the Prince's quarters.

xxx

Prince Arthur Pendragon of Camelot was readying himself for the All Saints Feast. Merlin had polished the buttons on his jacket, cleaned his finest shirt and trousers all that was left was for him to bathe and make himself presentable.

Merlin emptied the rest of the pot of hot water into the tub and quickly left before he could be reprimanded for the water being too hot or too cool.

The Prince lowered himself into the water and submerged himself, he cupped his hands in the warm water and washed his face and wet his hair. He relaxed back into the water, letting it soothe his muscles after his morning's training. He rubbed the mud away from his wrist where he had clashed blades with Percival. He rolled his shoulders back and took a deep breath. He had ten minutes to soak before he needed to get out and he would spend them relaxing.

Once satisfied that he was clean, and that little bit less tense, he pushed himself out of the water; droplets running over his skin as he stepped out, the stone floor hard and cold beneath his feet. He shivered as he grabbed his towel bringing it over his arms roughly, drying himself quickly so not to catch a cold.

Once dried, with his back to the door, he dropped the towel about to head behind his dressing screen and pull on the clothes Merlin had laid out for him before he had left.

He hadn't expected his chamber door to come flying open (and close again just as quickly) whilst he was naked in the middle of his room. He saw her before she'd turned and clamped eyes on him.

Arthur was a step away from being behind the screen but in the moment he stood stock still in shock. Once Gwen realised she averted her gaze, looking out of the window as a blush fired up her neck and to her cheeks. It was then that Arthur practically dived behind the dressing screen and hid from view.

He hadn't been planning on Guinevere seeing him in quite that calibre until after they were wed - which he was still determined they would be – they both had a virtue about them, though his was slightly less in tact than hers for her he would wait. He would wait a life time.

"Guinevere," he started rather mousey as he pulled on his breeches, "What brings you here?"

"I was," she cleared her throat, "I was hiding."

"From whom?" he asked pulling on his shirt over his head and grabbing his belt.

"David."

"Who's David?" he asked rounding the screen and standing before her fully clothed. She still wasn't looking at him, standing with both of hands behind her back on the door handle ready to make an escape at any second.

"One of the servants. He was following me so I came in here, hoping he might not come in here."

"Why is he following you?" he asked approaching her and leaning against one of the chairs by the table, mere feet from her.

"He's taken a fancy to me…"

"And you-"

xxx

The Prince's Chambers? What on earth would Gwen need to be doing in there? Perhaps she was seeing Merlin, David knew they were good friends. He couldn't think of any other reason she would need to be there without the Lady Morgana.

He stood outside for a minute, contemplating knocking and joining them. If it was the two servants than they would sure welcome his company? He couldn't hear any talking for a while, then finally he heard the Prince's voice carrying.

The Prince?

Why was she talking to the Prince?

Her voice was too soft for him to hear her too from his vantage point so he shuffled closer to the door, still unable to hear her. He heard the Prince for a moment; he was almost flirting with her. Flirting with Gwen? Surely she was too intelligent to get pulled in by his ways. David had heard the rumours. The Prince had been notorious with maids in the past and now he was leeching after Gwen?

David made up his mind then and knocked on the door quickly and pushing the door open.

He certainly hadn't expected to see what greeted him…

The Prince dropped his belt to the floor and placed his hand back in her hair; his other hand on her waist as they kissed.

David's jaw dropped. He certainly hadn't expected this, not from Gwen. She was virtuous and gracious; surely she wouldn't let the Prince take advantage of her like this?

The Prince finally noticed him, breaking away from Gwen for long enough to log that somebody else was present; "Get out!" he ordered and David quickly skirted away, "Wait outside," the Prince barked again as David pulled the door shut behind him.

xxx

"So you came here because?"

"It was the first place I could feasibly be in?" They were very close now. If David decided to enter then she would have a lot of explaining to do.

There was a knock. Gwen went to move away but before she could Arthur had her in his arms, "Go with it," he murmured before he dropped his belt to the floor so he could cup the side of her head in a hurry, kissing her quickly. She responded with a hand on the bottom hem of his shirt one that moments ago hadn't been covering his body at all and in a moment of madness she wondered what it would be like to see that shirt on the floor.

He pulled away and winked at her quickly before he turned on the servant. She bit her lip to keep herself from laughing, "Get out!" he roared. Gwen looked over her shoulder and rounded a horrified glare on David. _How dare he interrupt?_ she turned back to Arthur as he spoke again and she played up to him with a hand on the bottom hem of his shirt. He grinned wolfishly down at her before the door shut.

"How was that?" he asked her quietly.

"Tongues will wag."

"Indeed. At least he shall not bother you again."

"He shall think I am your mistress. He'll not come within a lance-length of me."

"Good," he didn't pretend to hide his glee, "Now I should go deal with him before he goes and tells half the castle out our elicit affair. Can't have them spread word around."

"I shall leave through the servant's door," she bowed her head. Arthur tipped her hand up with his index finger and placed a delicate kiss to her lips before they parted ways and he turned his face back to anger.

"Too much?" he asked her before she disappeared the other way.

"Just right," she confirmed and headed out of the door which in hindsight she could have walked to and out of before David had come into the room. Hindsight was a wonderful thing; but looking back over the events, had she planned to do as she was now she wouldn't ever have made it out of shock.

X

The Prince opened the door, a look of thunder on his face; "You are out of line and far out of your call of duty being here," he said plainly staring down the 'competition', "Mention what you saw today to _any_body and I shall have you permanently removed from the castle.

"And if I hear that you have been bothering Guinevere again then I shall make it my personal endeavour to make your life a living hell. Do you understand me?" he said forcefully with a dangerous glint in his eye. It wasn't far from the truth; "Do you understand?" Arthur repeated when the servant didn't answer.

He nodded then.

"Good. If I hear _any_ rumour regarding Guinevere and her virtue I shall come for you, understand? Despite what you think you saw, she is still an honourable woman. Now leave. I never want to see your face near my quarters, or Guinevere, ever again."

David ran.

xxx

David Baker was easily pleased. He didn't have expectations of his life and he was more than sated to work under the employ of Uther Pendragon in his kitchens. Only now he did it without looking at Guinevere Leodegrance. She was off-limits to him and he knew that now.


End file.
